Well I will put my head above the parapet and standby for the flak.
It was very expensive at the time. However it was in the early sixties, and as a result of the ‘Sands storm’ defence review, it was one of very few military aircraft projects going. As a result, development costs for all sorts of things, from advanced hydraulics to flying kit, found its way into the TSR 2 budget. Then, as good as the systems were, they were basically analogue (20 mins to align the nav kit I have heard mentioned). Add in some inevitable re-design, on things like fixing the landing gear shimmy and so on, a change of political climate was going to see it scrapped. And lets not forget that some of the main advocates for its demise were elements of the right wing press moaning about the ‘costs’. Some of the same journalists were also attacking Concorde for the same reasons of government spending.
It was I reckon a very good product, but having spent the money mentioned above, and with a prototype flying, what was it for?
The Polaris boats were being built and the ‘deterrent’ was going off to the Royal Navy. That left an aeroplane of immense capability being used for recce work, or throwing iron bombs and rockets around the battlefield. I don’t think I would have fancied a ground attack role in something as bit as a Vulcan! A bit of over kill when the Buccaneer, Harrier and Jaguar proved capable of that role and the delivery of battle field Neucs.
There was American pressure, but that was in my opinion, just the final straw.
P.S. Sorry Peter - after we were becoming such mates over the Hercules!